The present invention relates, in general, to fluid quick connectors which couple male and female connector components.
Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial application. Such quick connectors utilize retainers or locking elements for securing a male connector component, such as a tubular conduit, within a complimentary bore of a female connector component or housing. Such retainers are typically of either the axially-displaceable or radially-displaceable type. The terms xe2x80x9caxially-displaceablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cradially-displaceablexe2x80x9d are taken relative to the axial bore through the female component.
In a typical quick connector with an axially displaceable, retainer, the retainer is mounted within a bore in a housing of the female connector component of housing. The retainer has a plurality of radially and angularly extending legs which extend inwardly toward the axial center line of the bore in the housing. A tube or male component to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the female component includes a radially upset portion or flange which abuts an inner peripheral surface of the retainer legs. Seal and spacer members as well as a bearing or top hat are typically mounted in the bore ahead of the retainer to form a seal between the housing and the male fitting when the male fitting is lockingly engaged with the retainer legs in the housing.
Radially displaceable retainers are also known in which the retainer is radially displaceable through aligned bores or apertures formed transversely to the main throughbore in the female component housing. The radially displaceable retainer is typically provided with a pair of depending legs which are sized and positioned to slip behind the radially upset portion or flange on the male conduit only when the male connector or conduit is fully seated in the bore in the female component. This ensures a positive locking engagement of the conduit with the female component as well as providing an indication that the conduit is fully seated since the radially displaceable retainer can be fully inserted into the female component only when the conduit has been fully inserted into the bore in the female component.
Regardless of the type of retainer, the female housing or component portion of a fluid connector typically includes an elongated stem having one or more annular barbs spaced from a first end. The barbs provide secure engagement with a hose or conduit which is forced over the barbs to connect the female housing with one end of the conduit.
In certain fluid flow applications, such as vehicle fuel delivery systems, the fast flowing fuel creates a static electric charge which must be dissipated to minimize the danger of explosion. Multi-layer tubes containing an internal electrically conductive layer have been provided for conducting any static charge buildup to an electrical ground connection to thereby dissipate the static charge. In such applications, the housing of quick connectors have been formed with conductive materials to complete a static charge conductive path between the conductive layer in the multi-layer tube connected to one end of the housing and the typically metal or conductive plastic male endform or conduit inserted into the other end of the connector housing.
However, a reliable, continual contact between the endforms and the inner surfaces of the conductive quick connect housing is not always possible due to manufacturing tolerances. This results in intermittent electrical contact which can lead to built up static electricity in the fuel system which, in turn, increases the opportunity for an explosion.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a quick connector which maintains secure electrical contact with an internally received electrically conductive conduit.
The present invention is a fluid quick connector formed of a housing which is matable with a male endform. Both the quick connector housing and the male endform are preferably formed of an electrically conductive material. A contact member is carried in the connector housing and is engagable with the male endform when the male endform is inserted into the housing to provide a secure electrical connection between the male endform and the housing.
In one aspect, the contact member is in the form of at least one and, optionally, a plurality of radially inward extending projections carried in the housing, preferably unitarily with the housing. The projections extend into the bore through the housing and are positioned to engage the outer surface of the male endform when the male endform is inserted into the bore in the housing.
In another aspect, the contact member is in the form of at least one and, optionally, a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers extending longitudinally into the bore of the housing. The fingers are unitarily formed on the housing. The inner diameter between the contact fingers is less than the outer diameter of the male endform to enable the contact fingers to securely engage the male endform when the male endform is inserted into the housing.
Both aspects of the present invention uniquely provide a secure, non-intermittent electrical contact or path between the conductive male endform and the inner diameter of the conductive housing. This assures that static charge does not build up in the fuel system, in the case of the application of the quick connector in a vehicle fuel delivery system. The contact member assures a continuous electrical contact between the male endform and the housing thereby avoiding the intermittent contact afforded by previous quick connector housing to male endform connections.
The contact member also minimizes the problem encountered with previous attempts to provide an electrical ground path through the quick connector which required the removal or stripping of a significant portion of the plastic coating on the plastic coated metal endform to assure a ground path. This prior design reduces the corrosion resistence afforded the endform by the plastic coating. The present contact member assures a permanent electrical ground path as well as maintaining a high level of corrosion resistence since only a limited amount of plastic coating must be removed from the male endform or broken through by the projections.